How to Skip Geography
by Twerd
Summary: Why is it Scorpia will never leave him alone? Alex is under attack again.! Scorpia have come to Brookland. How is he going to get out of this one? n.b set after Snakehead, rated K plus because of violence.
1. Chapter 1 Back at School

"So are you going to tell me or not?"

Alex Rider was back at school, and despite his nervousness, fitting in well.

He still found it odd that he could be told off for running down a corridor, or forgetting his homework, and constantly found himself locating the exits of room when he entered them; but otherwise it was back to normal.

It had not surprised him that after only a day back at school his friend Tom hadn't been able to restrain his questioning.

"Tell you what?"

They were stood outside in the school yard, passing Tom's slightly deflated football. It was raining lightly- the type of rain seems almost lazy, as it slowly drifts onto your face. The sky was cloudy, and the teacher sat on the red chair by the front door checking that no-one did anything against the rules was sipping her tea looking annoyed and cold.

Tom rolled his eyes.

"What you've been doing the past MONTH. You were in hospital, and then you disappeared. Where have you been?"

"I've been ill." Alex said, kicking the ball up on his knee, and then passing it over to Tom; who raised his eyebrows disbelievingly, and scooped the ball off the floor. He moved over to stand with his friend.

"No, Alex, you haven't. You told me what was really going on."

Alex sighed.

"Fine, but not here, let's go inside."

They walked around to the student's door and through the corridor into a deserted classroom. Alex entered it, and sat on the table. Tom sat down next to him, and Alex relayed the entire Ark Angel tale, and all the Scorpia and Snakehead business. He noted Tom's amazed face.

"You went into _space_? And you were recruited by _Australia_?" He gazed at his friend in astounded disbelief. "Why aren't you dead?"

Alex shrugged. "I don't know," He threw the ball from one hand to another. "I was lucky, I suppose."

Tom laughed.

"Alex, if I didn't know that there is no way you could have about a million illnesses in a few months, I wouldn't believe a word of this."

Alex said nothing, just stared at the wall and thought. It was all unbelievable; sometimes he had to stop and check he was really alive. But he had put it all behind him, and he wasn't going to risk his life anymore. Those days were over; any other security service who wanted him could do without. MI6 had promised to leave him alone. ASIS, the CIA, the lot of them- he wasn't spying for them anymore.

"Why are you wearing a fake watch?" Tom asked him suddenly. "Is that-"

Alex nodded. He was still wearing the watch that Smithers had given him, not because he thought he could still use it (as a transmitter, of course, it didn't work as a real watch) but because he wanted to. He didn't know exactly why, but the watch comforted him.

He jumped off the table as the sound of a teacher's footsteps echoed along the corridor. Mrs Sheath, Alex's maths teacher, opened the door and looked inside.

"Out, boys, you're not allowed in classrooms at lunch." 

Alex mumbled a sorry, and he and Tom left the room.

Alex was privately thinking how much use a teacher would be on a mission. Probably try to lecture the evil madmen or women behind whatever crime it was. That is, if they didn't get shot first.


	2. Chapter 2 Not listening saves lives

Alex was finding it increasingly hard to concentrate on the geography lesson. He couldn't help noticing that the teacher was wrong. Mr Martins was talking about Bangkok, about how the situations there had drastically improved over the last twenty years. Alex was finding it hard to resist putting up his hand and saying that although there might be fewer slums than there are, Bangkok was still a city full of poverty. He wondered if Mr Martins was only talking about the posh part of the city, the rich part, and not the more deprived part Alex had visited.

So, irritated by being taught something wrong, and not being able to correct his teacher, he was gazing out of the window. He was sat next to it, and was peering down the side of the red bricked building. There was the union jack sticking out of the side, as most schools had, and countless windows and window ledges. A pigeon flew past the window. Alex sighed. Geography was a very dull lesson.

"Mr Rider, could you kindly tell me the name of the river that runs through Bangkok, instead of gazing out of the window?"

"The Chao Phraya." Alex answered instantly. He knew more about that river than anyone else in that room. He had been in it; in fact, he had nearly been eaten alive by rats in it.

Mr Martins scowled, but returned to the whiteboard, and scrawled down the name.

"And as Mr Rider kindly told us, the Chao Phraya…."

Alex turned his attention away from the lesson again, and back to the window.

A man was walking up to the front steps. He was powerfully built with massive shoulders and a shaven head. There was something quite brutal about his face, which Alex could see even from his position two stories above- small, squashed nose and thick lips. His clothes looked expensive; a black suit and shoes that shone in the grey light of the day.

But that wasn't what attracted Alex's attention.

The man had a walking stick, which it itself was odd as he didn't appear to need it. But what caught Alex's attention was the decoration on the walking stick.

A silver scorpion.

Alex's blood ran cold. It was Major Yu's- or one very like it. How could he forget that stick? He had been knocked unconscious by in on their last meeting. And if someone else had the stick; that meant Scorpia was after him again. He cursed Mrs Jones. She had said they were going to leave him alone!

The only reason Scorpia would be here would be to get him; unless there was another teenage spy who had stopped their criminal activities twice, in the same school. Alex seriously doubted this. He had to get out.

He put his hand in the air.

"Alex?" Mr Martins asked.

"Sir, please may I go to the toilet?"

Mr Matins sighed.

"You should have gone at lunch."

Alex found it impossible to believe a teacher could cause his death.

"Please, sir?"

"Alex, time management-" 

"I know, sir, I'll remember next time!"

Mr Martins sighed again.

"Fine, fine. Off you go, Alex. But if you're more than five minutes there will be trouble."

There were sniggers around the classroom as Alex left- but he caught Tom's eye. Tom looked worried. Alex nodded at him meaningfully. Tom went white.

Alex closed the classroom door behind him, and then looked up and down the corridor.

He could run away from school, away from Scorpia (MI6 could sign him a note, they owed him that much). But Scorpia wouldn't just go away; Major Yu had planned to kill hundred of thousands of people, even when there was no point, just because it had been too good a plan to waste. He couldn't trust that they would leave all the other kids and teachers alone just because he escaped.

Making a snap decision, Alex turned and ran down the corridor, towards the stairs that would lead him to the door.


	3. Chapter 3   A receptionist tells lies

He could hear the droning of lessons from within classroom as he sped past their doors, and it annoyed him that his real life could be disrupted by something he was so sure he had left behind. School was a place he had always associated with safety, and now it was a place of danger- would he ever be safe anywhere, ever again?

He reached the stairs and ran down them three at a time. He was now on the first floor- he needed to get down to reception. How much time had gone since he saw the man through the window? A minute? Two?

He ran down the next staircase, and found himself on the ground floor. Reception was just down the corridor, next to the hall. He sped towards it, and then slowed down when he reached the open doors that led into the welcoming red room.

He heard voices from inside.

"Alex Rider, please." 

"I'm afraid I cannot give you that information, sir."

Alex liked the receptionist. She has always had a soft spot for him.

"Oh, yes, you can. Tell me now," There was the sound of a gun being removed from a holster. "Or I shoot."

"I-I-I…I can't tell you….why Alex?"

Alex was surprised that even though she was about to be shot, she could still ask questions. The Gunman, however, didn't seem so impressed.

"You don't _ask_ the questions, you _answer_ them, lady…Where is he?" He spat the words out.

Alex peeked around the door, to see the man holding the gun to the receptionist's throat. She looked terrified, but he saw her eyes flick over to the door where he was stood. A brief look of surprise fell on her face, but she quickly changed her expression to terrified again.

"Let….let me check…." 

The Gunman pulled the gun from her throat, and smiled sweetly.

"You're catching on. Hurry up."

The receptionist gulped, then turned to her computer screen, and started furiously clicking the mouse. She started to type.

"There's no need to write anything, woman, what are you doing?" Snarled the man.

"It's all password protected," She answered, her voice quaking, but still calm. "It's…yes, here it is…he's in….in…"

The man tapped his fingers on the scorpions head.

"Where?" He hissed.

"Maths." She said, "Room 32."

Alex was surprised by the lie. She knew he wasn't in maths, her timetabled were correct…had she just tried to protect him?

"Thankyou." He smiled again, and then, before Alex could react, pulled the trigger on the gun and shot her.


	4. Chapter 4 Do not chew gum in class

The gun had a silencer- there was no noise. Alex barely had enough time to register what had happened before he saw the man turn towards the door. Just in time, Alex withdrew his head, and flung himself behind the door, as the man walked past him, heading up the stairs he himself had only recently run down. Room 31 was on the third floor. As much as Alex wanted to get out of the school, he knew he couldn't let the Scorpion reach the lesson.

Should he attract his attention?

If he yelled the Gunman would turn around and chase after him immediately. But Alex knew this was the wrong decision- he would be dead before he had a chance to get away. So he waited until he heard the sound of footstep on lino, and knew the man had reached the first level.

Alex knew that his only advantage over the man was that he knew the school better. For instance, Alex knew that there had recently been a lift installed for the selection of kids who had wheelchairs. It wasn't a real lift like you had in flats or hotels- it was just a metal platform wedged in between clear plastic walls. But it would be faster than walking up to the top floor- and if he got to room 31 first, he could distract the man.

Alex raced towards the hall. The lift was on the far left corner of the huge room- and praying to God no teachers saw him (if anyone who didn't need the lift took it they were in trouble, hence the transparent walls) he jabbed the red button by the side of the doors.

Achingly slowly, they opened, and Alex stepped inside, and pressed another button, this time green. It had a huge number three on it, which was also written in Braille.

The lift squealed up through the hall, and up through the ceiling onto the first floor. He caught sight of the Scorpion running towards the stairs- good, he was already ahead. He was banking on at least a minute to save the occupants of Room 31.

Alex rolled his eyes as the lift slowly continued up. Things always seemed to go slower when you needed them to be fast. He spent his time watching how the lift worked- a huge reel with steel ropes winding up and down.

He glanced at his wrist, expecting to see the time. Instead he saw the watch Smithers had given him, and acting on impulse, he moved the hands to eleven. There was a new battery in the watch- he just hoped MI6 would come, and not think he was messing them around.

Room 31 was directly opposite him, near the end of the white corridor. Next to it was Room 33, and opposite Room 30. When he had this problem before, in a hospital, he had simply switched the numbers around. It wouldn't be that easy this time. The red number plaques were nailed on the door.

There was a window in the door, and Alex peered through it. His heart lifted-_ there was no-one in there._ The receptionist had been cleverer than he had expected. She had chosen an empty room.

So he had a new problem. When the Scorpion get here and found it was empty, he would move on to the next rooms searching for Alex. How was he going to get rid of the Scorpion?

A plan slowly formed in his head. He ran into the room, knowing his time was running out. He found a piece of paper on a table, and pulled a pen out of his pocket.

"_Room Change- class to take place in the hall."_

Thinking again, Alex ran his hand underneath the table. Sure enough, a wad of chewing gum was stuck to the base. Alex removed it.

He ran out back into the corridor, and stuck the piece of paper to the door with the chewing gum. He stepped back to admire his handiwork. The Gunman wouldn't have seen the hall yet, so he would have no idea that there was no class there.

Wasting no more time, Alex started to run down the corridor, deciding not to risk the lift this time- if the Gunman saw him that would be the end. Plastic wasn't bullet-proof.

It was about halfway down the corridor when he saw the Gunman ascending the first step, and without even taking breath he hurled himself through the nearest door- which happened to be a Spanish lesson.

The whole class turned to look at him in shock. Alex straightened up, and smiled at the teacher.

"¿hola, cómo es usted?" He asked, in fluent Spanish. The teacher stared at him.

"Why have you just entered my lesson without knocking?"

Only in school, Alex thought, could you still be told off for not knocking when you were trying to save the lives everyone in it.

"I was checking to see if I'd left my pencil case in here," He replied, saying the first excuse that came into his head.

"Well, is it?"

Alex quickly glanced out of the window in the door, in time to see the Gunman pass. He quickly glanced around the room.

"No, sir, sorry, bye- adios!"

And he quietly crept out of the room.

The Gunman was approaching Room 31, and knowing he only had a few seconds, Alex quickly ran down the corridor and reached the stairs.


	5. Chapter 5 Plans and raving madmen

He sped down the stairs so fast he practically flew. He knew he would have very little time before the Scorpion reached the hall, and he had to think of a good plan to catch him before that happened.

As he raced past reception, he forced himself to look at the woman who had given her life to protect him. She lay slumped over the desk, surrounded by blood. He sharply averted his eyes. He hated death. He saw too much of it.

As he entered the hall, he wondered what Mr Martins was thinking. He had been out of the classroom for ten minutes (as far as he could tell without a watch). Maybe they thought he had got lost on the way to the bathroom.

He stared around the hall. The lift platform was still on the third floor, so it was just an empty square room of plastic. Useless. He turned around and scanned the room. There was a raised platform at the front, where the Head stood at the end of term assembly. There was a podium, and a few red chairs. But unless he could knock the Scorpion out with a chair, it was all pretty useless.

He ran over to the podium. A notepad was at on it, with a speech scrawled untidily over the front page. There was a glass of water and a pen. There was nothing to use in any sort of combat. He wondered why he had chosen the hall- it was the least useful room for any type of plan. If he had written down the number of some science lab…it was a stupid mistake to have made, and one that was going to get him killed.

He ran his eyes around the room once more, and suddenly an idea formed in his mind. He took the pen from the podium, and ran over to the lift.

Zeljan Kurst did not like being messed around. He was here to kill Alex Rider, but the boy was even now proving elusive.

He glared around the hall, wondering how a class could possibly be moved from two locations for just one lesson. Where was the stupid boy now? He could wait for the next lesson, but by then the secretary would have been found. He regretted killing her now. She would have been more useful alive.

"Who are you?"

He was surprised by the question. He spun around, holding his gun out. The voice had come from the podium, behind which was stood

"Alex Rider."

"Who are you?" Alex repeated.

"I am Zeljan Kurst. I work for Scorpia."

Alex scowled, as if Kurst had just said a disgusting swear word.

"Why are you here?" The boy asked.

"Why? Because I'm going to kill you."

The boy smiled.

"Yes, that's quite obvious. But why here? Why this school?"

Kurst laughed.

"To show you up as you really are. To humiliate MI6. To show that Scorpia isn't going to bow down and take all the crap we've been given."

"You asked for everything you got. Leave me alone."

Alex knew he was never going to get the answer he wanted. He was just keeping Kurst talking. MI6 should be here soon. He had sent out the signal over ten minutes ago.

"No. You caused a lot of trouble for us, Mr Rider."

But before he could continue, something happened that neither of then had expected.

The school bell rang.


	6. Chapter 6 the start of a performance

Alex hadn't realised how much time had passed. There was suddenly the sound of footsteps and laughing voices.

But Kurt had not been so distracted. As soon as he had noticed Alex's change of attention, he had whipped out his gun and shot.

Alex sensed the shot before he saw it. He had developed a sort of forewarning- like animals had before a storm. He was on the ground before the bullet had even left the gun.

The gun' silencer may have dampened the sound of the shot, but it had no control over the sound of a huge interactive whiteboard smattering to pieces.

The huge crash reverberated around the hall, and the hall doors swung open. Students poured in.

Alex cursed. Everything was going as wrong as it could possibly go. He saw Tom come in, just as Kurst ran over to him, and made to knock him out with a punch.

Alex kicked up with his leg, throwing Kurst off balance. This gave him enough time to stand up, and prepare himself for the fight that he knew must come. He assumed the traditional martial arts fighting stance- all his weight on hi front foot. There was silence around the hall. The Head entered, and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when Kurst fired a shot into the air. There were screams.

"NO-ONE IS TO INTERRUPT. ANYONE WHO DOES, DIES. THERE IS A SCORE TO SETTLE BETWEEN ME AND MR RIDER."

There was no noise in the hall. It seemed the whole school was stood there, white faced and staring. Alex made out Tom at the front, looking terrified.

Kurst turned back to smile at Alex.

"Should I tell everyone here why I hate you so much, Alex?" They began to circle each other.

Alex didn't reply, just glared back at Kurst. He span around, aiming a kick at hi chest- but Kurst moved deftly out of the way, laughing. There were gasps around the crowd.

"I take that as a no, do I? You don't want them all to know what you've really been doing over the past few months? What you've been doing while you were supposedly sick?"

"Shut…up!" yelled Alex. Kurst growled, and shot out a fist to punch Alex in the face. Alex dodged, and kicked the man in the belly. He grunted, but stood up, still smiling.

"Mistake, boy, because now, I'm going to spill all your secrets."


	7. Chapter 7  don't retaliate

But before Kurst could continue, there was a scream, and a year seven girl ran into the hall.

"THE RECEPTIONIST!" she wailed, crying, "She's….she's dead!"

There were more screams and gasps around the room, but before pandemonium took over, Kurst fired another shot, and the young girl fell to the ground, blood spilling onto her blue blazer.

"I said," he whispered, a quiet hiss that carried around the shocked room, "No interruptions."

"No!" shouted Alex, wanting to both run over the girl, who was now surrounded by crying teachers and students. This was all his fault, if he hadn't ever got involved none of this would be happening. "She didn't do anything!"

Kurst ignored him, but fired another shot in his direction. Alex only flung himself to the ground in time. The bullet grazed his shoulder, and blood started to stain his white shirt.

"So, now we have restored order, why don't I tell the crowd here about your recent exploits?"

"No, Kurst-"

"I think;" He cut in, "We'll start with Storm-"

But before he could continue Alex had leapt forwards and slammed the heel of his palm straight into his face. Kurst growled, and spat out blood. He slammed his foot into Alex's stomach; Alex reeled back groaning, and only just rolled out of the way in time to avoid Kursts next blow.

"Alex, why fight? You cannot win!"

Alex made to move again, but Kurst lifted up the scorpion stick, and jabbed it at him. Alex had been knocked out by that stick before- he didn't really want to experience it again.

He flicked a strand of fair hair out of his eyes. He needed something, anything… a weapon, that he could use to defend himself with…

Kurst was turning back to the crowd of students, and, as he did, Alex quickly undid his tie, and wrapped it around his wrist. He removed it so quickly Kurst didn't seem to realize.

"Where was I? Stormbreaker, yes…" He turned back to Alex, clearing about to ask another patronizing question. But before he could, Alex had moved his wrist forward and whipped the tie across his face. Kurst yelled out loud, and before Alex could react had whacked him across the head with the stick. The blow didn't fall with the intentional force, due to the fact a huge stream of blood had burst out on his face, but it was still enough to knock him to the ground. There were gasps of horror all around the hall. Kurst laughed bitterly.

Alex felt like his skull was splitting open. He tried to get to his feet and fell over again, dizzy.

"Come on, boy, get up, I was just getting started!" Jeered Kurst, poking Alex with his stick. Gritting his teeth, Alex stood, swaying.

"Nasty trick with that tie there, detention, I'm afraid…" Kurst apparently found this joke hilarious, because he chuckled manically. "Still, I suppose it's only fair you have a weapon too…Blunt never let you use guns, did he?"

"How do you know that?" hissed Alex, as they started circling again. Alex was slowly regaining balance, even though he felt like his brain was pushing through his eye sockets, and blood was trickling down his head from where Kurst had struck. _Head wounds always bleed the most,_ he told himself, sternly. He was going to have to get a grip, or he would make mistakes.

"I know things about you even you don't."

Alex stood still.

"That got you to shut up, didn't it, Alex?" Kurst scratched his head, and looked almost sad. "You know, I don't want to fight you. But I will, and you will lose. Such an awful way to go…oh, yes, there's a trick I forgot to show you!" Kurst turned to his walking stick, and pulled on the scorpion head. With a slight pop, it separated from the rest of the stick, revealing a long, thin silver knife.

Alex cursed, and assessed his options. He didn't have any, simple as that. He turned around, and ran from the hall, hoping against hope Kurst would follow him, and not attack everyone here.


	8. Chapter 8 No Talking in the Library

His major fear was relaxed almost instantly. Kurst growled and started to follow him. Alex knew that this was good for everyone in the hall- if they were sensible they'd all get out while they had the chance.

However, it wasn't so good for him.

He heard a gun shot and saw the bullet whiz past his head. He knew Kurst had only missed because he was angry- shortly he would regain his temper. He needed time.

Hide and seek. .

He smiled at the irony of the thing. He had had for to much of this game in the past weeks.

"RIDER!" 

Alex flinched as Kurst's livid bellow echoed around the corridor. He was running along the ground floor, heading for the library. He could lose Kurst amongst the books, and then make a break for it. He sped around the corner.

He didn't slow down as he reached the dark door with the laminated sign reading "Library. Quiet at all times." He barged through the doors, just as he saw Kurst rounding the corner at the top of the corridor. He stopped running as he entered the huge, book filled room. It was eerily quiet. He flinched slightly as he heard the heavy footfalls of the Scorpion, and he slid in between the Space and World Affairs Section.

Brookland School Library was the best school library in London, and in total contained over twenty thousand books. For that many books, there were a lot of shelves. And then you weren't even counting the computers, newspaper stands and televisions. It was the perfect maze, and Alex was tempted to stay in here to hide. But as he heard the library door open and close, he shivered. It was like a graveyard in here- less dead people, but still the same atmosphere. He would lose his cool, and then there would be another similarity between a cemetery and this place- a corpse. out, come out, wherever you are……." 

Alex narrowed his eyes. Kurst was already making mistakes. When you're hunting someone, you don't strive to show them where you were. And Alex had another advantage over Kurst- because he was so heavy; he made huge noises when he moved. Alex, who was lighter, was almost silent.

Alex peered through a hole in the bookcase, and bit his lip when he saw Kurst, grinning manically, creeping along just on the other side. He turned, and headed towards the Young Fiction.

He listened hard. He couldn't hear Kurst; good, he must be far away from him. Alex crouched down by a bookcase, and saw an illustrated copy of 'Alice in Wonderland'" next to him. Lewis Carroll had never been quite to his taste, but another idea formed in his head, and he removed the book from the shelf.

He cursed as the books on either side where the classic tale had resided collapsed on each other. They didn't make much noise, but enough to alert Kurst. Sure enough, there were the hurried heavy footfalls. Alex flattened himself on the ground and rolled underneath the bookcase. Only just in time, because Kurst had just appeared where he had been a second before, holding the gun out.

Alex silently crawled around a few bookcases back, and when he judged he was far enough away from Kurst, he faced the case in front of him. It was empty on the side facing him (a sign bluetacked to on of the shelves read 'these books are being repaired due to a recent accident- Alex couldn't imagine what kind of accident would wipe out an entire section of books. He hadn't been back at school when it had happened). But on the other side, it was laden with heavy Science books. Alex thanked his lucky stars, as he reached up, and, still holding "Alice in Wonderland", started to climb up the bookcase.

The shelves acted as rungs, and the heavy collection of books on the side opposite him made sure that the shelves wouldn't fall back on him and kill him. They balanced the whole thing.

Alex reached the top shelf, and peered over the top.

Kurst was creeping around, gun in his hands, looking from left to right like a mass murderer stuck in a "Where's Wally?" book.

Alex drew a breath, and pulled his arm back. Ian Rider had once taken his to an Athletic Summer Camp, and he had been taught how to throw a Shot Put. He pulled the book close to his neck, and, wishing he could spin around to give extra power to his throw, pushed the book forward through the air in an arc. It went an impressive distance, but Alex only lingered long enough the check that it had travelled a fair way from the door.

He leapt down from the bookcase, the carpet absorbing most of the shock and sound of the landing. There was an impressive crash as he heard the book land. It must have fallen on something heavy, and balanced precariously, because it was followed by a series of other crashes.

He heard Kurst's victorious chuckle, and his retreating footsteps. That was all he needed. He sped out from behind the empty bookcase, and back through the door.

He was back in the corridor. He breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully Kurst would be kept busy in the library for a while, not knowing if Alex has escaped or not.

Alex knew what he had to do next. His original plan could still work. He just needed to change in a bit.

As he sped away, he chanced a look through the hall door. Everyone was still there, whispering and crying, the teachers walking around comforting the younger students. The Head was taking the body of the dead Year Seven away from the students. Alex knew that no-one would want to look at that right now.

Sighing, Alex knew that even if he did survive this, nothing would be the same.

He really, really hated Scorpia.

And that was only fuelling his determination.


	9. Chapter 9 A Sock

Back in the hall, Tom was looking around nervously, wondering what was going on. Was Alex ok? Had he got away from that Man with the knife?

Tom had heard all Alex's stories of spying, but to Tom they had been just that; stories. The closest he had ever come to any real danger was when he had helped Alex break into that place in Venice. Facing the real thing, even as an audience; it was simply terrifying.

"Did you know?"

Tom jerked his head up to see a tall black haired girl, with red rimmed eyes and a round, pale face.

"Know what?"

"About Alex." 

Tom narrowed his eyes.

"What about him?"

The girl laughed bitterly, and then choked, trying not to sob.

"About this whole business with that man. I mean, he's obviously not normal," she spat out the words with distaste.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tom said, stolidly. He wasn't going to spill his best friend's secret just now.

The girl started to cry openly, as she glared at Tom.

"That girl, the year seven the man shot, she's my sister." She shook her head. "This is just wrong."

Tom watched her as she walked away, back to a group of weeping friends.

He really didn't like this at all.

It took Kurst five whole minutes to work out Alex wasn't in the library. He cursed- the boy could have done anything in that time. He threw aside the Alice in Wonderland hardback (which he had just realised didn't belong in the Historical section; and recognised the trick that had just been played) and ran towards the door. He was going to have to be extra careful.

If he were a schoolboy, where would he go?

Kurst's first thought was the hall- all Alex's friends would be in here. But then he thought…no. The boy might be irritating, but he wasn't stupid. He wasn't going to turn his friends into targets.

But he was a child, and children instinctively ran away from danger. Kurst knew enough criminal physiology to know that the boy would have headed for where he was safest, even if subconsciously. That meant furthest away from Kurst- and in most boys' cases, out of the building- but Alex would be making a plan, so he would have headed up.

Third floor. Kurst headed towards the stairs, and ran up them, one at a time. He looked left and right, checking for some sort of trap set for him by the teenage superspy. There seemed to be nothing- no sign of any activity. He was a trained killer, a successful criminal, and a hardened wrong-doer; but the lack of any action at all was unnerving him. He hummed Bach to calm himself.

He reached the top floor a minute later, and stared around. There was no-one there. Just a row of silent doors, behind which anything could be hiding. How was it a boy could unnerve him so much? He needed to get a grip.

"Rider!" He shouted "I know you're in here!"

There was no reply. Then something caught Kurst's attention. There was a single, black sock, lying beside the door of the classroom jus tin front of him (a science room, recognisable from the sign on the door reading "Dangerous Chemicals- not student to enter without a teacher.").

There was another question.

Why was there a sock in the middle on the corridor?


	10. 10 Bad boys deserve to be punished

Alex watched as Kurst walked over to the sock and bent down over it, peeking through the window of the classroom door behind Kurst. He noted with grim satisfaction that Kurst hadn't touched the sock- but then again, Alex had known he wouldn't. Kurst might have been a criminal, but he wasn't an idiot. It didn't really make much difference.

Kurst straightened up.

"RIDER!" He yelled. Alex ducked below the door window quickly. Kurst's voice was angrier than any he had ever heard. It was like being shouted at by your head teacher, only your head teacher was going to actually murder you. "RIDER, DO YOU PERSIST IN PATRONISING ME? THIS SOCK IS WET! I'M NOT AN IDIOT, AND EVEN AN IDIOT COULD TELL YOU'VE PUT SOME NASTY CHEMICAL ON THIS. YOU'VE FAILED, BOY, NOW COME OUT!"

Alex looked through the window again, and saw to his satisfaction Kurst hadn't touched the sock. Hopefully Kurst was underestimating him now. He probably thought Alex was a lot stupider than he had previously assumed.

Alex waited until Kurst was facing the opposite way, before he burst out of the corridor, and threw his entire body onto him. Kurst, taken completely by surprise, lurched forwards, landing with his face directly on the wet garment.

He screamed, as the acid-coated sock hit his face, his eyes, his nose, his mouth. He rolled over, his hands grasping his face, and then he screamed ever more when his hands became covered in the chemical.

"You- you- you…" He growled, and reached out blindly for Alex. Alex quietly stood up, and surveyed the man at his feet.

"It was a mistake to come here, Kurst. You should have left me alone."

"I'm going to kill you, boy!"

"Not right now, you're not. But you know what," Alex bent down over the man, and whispered, "I've put something in the lift. Alkaline."

Kurst gasped, in pain and in shock. He opened his eyes a fraction, and glared at Alex. The acid was burning his skin. He knew full well that the only way to stop this was the alkaline- for any decent educated individual knows that alkaline and acid cancel each other out. He rolled over again, and started crawling across the floor. Alex walked quickly around him, and stood in his way. The man shouted out in pain.

"WHAT!" Then he spat on the floor.

"I want to hear you say," Alex said, quietly, "That you will leave me alone. Say it."

Kurst stayed silent.

"SAY IT." Alex yelled, and Kurst jumped, and then screamed. A hissing noise was coming from his skin, which was turning red and raw looking. But Alex didn't waste his time feeling sorry for the man. Kurst had killed many people for not reason. He deserved everything he got.

"F-f-fine…." Kurst whispered, his shaven head shaking. "Fine. Move." 

Alex nodded, and moved out of the way. He sped over to the lift, and pressed the 'open' button. The doors whirred open, to reveal a tub of alkaline which Alex had placed there. Shivering and moaning, Kurst threw himself inside, and grasped around for the tub. Grimly watching, Alex closed the doors, and directed the lift to 'G'. Ground floor.

He turned and sped away, back to the hall.


	11. Chapter 11 A Trapped Lunatic

Alex reached the hall a minute later; hoping against hope Kurst hadn't beaten him down. As he sped into the hall, he tried not to look at the hundreds of schoolchildren, many of whom were his friends, were grouped around crying. Tom was watching him from where he sat alone in the corner, and he stood up as Alex entered.

The eyes of the hall followed Alex as he quickly walked over to the lift. Tom stood beside him, and whispered;

"What's going on?"

Alex said nothing, just looked up the lift shaft. Kurst was descending slowly.

As he had noticed in his ascent in the lift earlier, the lift worked by a reel of steel rope- but what he had also noticed was that there was a groove in the plastic of the wall, just where the reel would come to rest when the lift cubicle stopped when it reached the hall. The groove acted like a brake- a part of the reel would click into it, and the cubicle would stop.

However, that wouldn't work if there was a pen in the groove.

Kurst finally re-appeared into sight. He looked up as he entered, his face raw and his eyes clamped shut. The tub of alkaline was sat at his feet. He couldn't seem to work out why the lift had stopped.

Slowly he opened his eyes- they were red and bloodshot, but seemed to work. He looked out of the lift- he was only a few centimetres from the ground, but the lift doors wouldn't open if the lift wasn't fully landed. It wouldn't go up, either, until it had landed. Kurst was stuck.

He stood up shakily, and stared at Alex with an expression of disbelief.

"You….you…why did you not join Scorpia, boy? With a mind like that, you look like you were born for it."

Alex stared coldly back at him, and stepped boldly up the lift shaft (he wouldn't have been quite so bold if he hadn't known Kurst's gun was still on the third floor).

"Because Scorpia are criminals, and I'm no criminal."

Kurst laughed shortly.

"Don't fool yourself, boy." Kurst turned to look at the occupants of the hall. "I think I'm owed revenge. You can't stop be telling them all now. "

Alex sighed.

"I don't even care. Go right ahead. I'm done with this."

"Yes, well, I might as well enjoy my last moments of freedom. I assume someone called the police?"

The Head shouted a feeble "yes!". Alex looked with disdain at his fake watch. MI6 had obviously ignored him.

Tom looked at him.

"You're not-" 

But before he could continue, Kurst cut in. Alex, resigning himself, sat down and tried to block out all the stares.

"Alex Rider, the one who was always sick. The one you all assumed was a bit or a hypochondriac. But alas, no. Alex Rider," Kurst drew a breath- his raw faced convulsed and he scowled, "Is a spy for British Intelligence."

The hall went silent. There were a few dramatic gasps, a disbelieving "No!", and even a laugh.

"You don't believe me?" Kurst looked at Alex. "Tell them it's not true, Alex. Go on. Tell them I'm lying."

Alex said nothing. Kurst smiled, in a demented mad way.

"See? Alex Rider, the sickly wonder- not sick at all, oh no, but on missions all over the world- the classic young James Bond."

"Can we skip this?" Alex asked, quietly.

"No, no, I'm quite enjoying myself… What should we talk about first? Chronological, I think. Stormbreaker."

Alex couldn't help himself. He glanced over his shoulder. Disbelieving, shocked, angry and impressed faces were peering his way. He quickly turned around. Tom sat down next to him, and looked at him in a reassuring yet awkward way.

"Who here remembers the Stormbreaker computers?"


	12. Chapter 12

Suddenly, a loud buzzing filled the hall, echoing around the walls

Suddenly, a loud buzzing filled the hall, echoing around the walls. People screamed, and pointed at the windows, outside which black shapes were descending. Alex's blood ran cold as he saw a helicopter pass by the window, with picture of a scorpion imprinted on the side.

He jumped up, hearing Kurst laughing behind him.

"Idiot boy!" Alex turned to face him angrily.

"What did you do, Kurst?" He yelled. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Kurst grinned manically. "It's more what I _didn't _do. You see, I was supposed to send a signal to headquarters, to signal that everything was okay and you," He spat, "You were dead. But I didn't, did I? And now _everyone _is going to be killed, and it's your fault, Rider!"

Alex stared at Kurst in shock for a second, then turned around to the hall, whose eyes were resting on him, wide and scared.

And overwhelming sense of panic descended over Alex. What the hell was he going to do? He couldn't protect all these people, all his friends, stop Scorpia entering the building, and keep an eye on Kurst at the same time.

His brain went into frenzy planning.

"Tom!"

"Yes?" Tom said, jumping up.

"Go down to reception, find a phone book, and find Royal and General Bank. Ring them up, and tell whoever the hell it is that Alex Rider said to tell Alan Blunt that Scorpia have come to Brookfield." Tom stared at him, dumbfounded. "GO!" Alex yelled, and Tom ran off instantly.

"Right," Alex yelled. "We're relocating, but I want four people to stay in here and keep an eye on Kurst." Blank faces. "I need four people to stay in here and make sure this man doesn't get out!"

Slowly, a few of hands raised, one a P.E teacher, one the Headteacher, and a sixth form prefect. "Thankyou, anyone else?"

A tall, black haired girl stood up. "I will."

"Good."

"You remember the little girl? The one he shot?"

Alex nodded, his eyes cold.

"That was my sister."

"I'm sorry," Alex told her, and meant it. "And I swear," he raised his voice. "I _swear, _no-one else is going to die today. I'm not going to let that happen. And I need everyone to go up to the canteen." No-one moved. "NOW! Go, go, go!"

Slowly, as panic started to take over, people stood, up, and soon everyone was running out of the hall. Alex made to follow.

"Rider!"

Alex ground to a halt, and turned around to face the an who had turned his life upside down, then shaken it around a bit and popped the lid, so it had fizzed all over the floor.

"WHAT?"  
"I just wanted to say," Kurst said, smiling, "that this is _all your fault._"

Alex growled, as he turned to leave the room, slamming the heel of his palm into the fire alarm as he passed.


End file.
